


Curiosity is a Funny Thing

by CodaRosy



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Magic, OCs - Freeform, Pre-War, Rating May Change, Tags May Change, Violence, characters will be added, first fic, i don't know how to tag, living on the surface, not graphic though, pre-game, when I see it needed, young Gaster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 05:07:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6739297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CodaRosy/pseuds/CodaRosy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mother's love can protect many things.</p><p>When one of the skeletons from the army of Kane, the mighty sorceress, begins to think and feel on his own, a new bond is formed.  But how will it last against the growing tensions of humans and monsters?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kane of Bones

**Author's Note:**

> So let's get something out of the way right now. This is my first story I've posted on a public forum. I would really appreciate some feed back so I can improve. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Btw: this has a LOT of head cannons. I'm sorry if this doesn't agree with yours, but don't bring your hate here. Thanks.

All would fear the one called Kane. The enchantress called Kane of Bones. The village spoke in whispers. Whispers of her wicked magic only wielded by the Devil himself. Whispers of her mindless army of thousands at her beckon call. Her horde of the undead. She was feared by both monster and human due to her soul of black and magic of red. She was the heartless witch of Ebott swamp.  


This made her protection of a single slave in her horde all the stranger.  


It all started because one of them were curious, curious of all things. He was supposed to be another servant, another pile of magic given a body.  
He was supposed to do as he’s told. Granted, he’s never asked questions. But he gave his master a look. A look as she was preparing spells to add more to her horde. A look every time she went grave digging for new servants. He was a skeleton. He has no soul of his own. And yet he was curious.  


Kane was impressed. She had grown attached to the only child in her horde. He had his own little quirks. His own little imperfections. His 'personality' as one would say.  


But he shouldn’t have one. He shouldn’t have thoughts or feelings or imperfections. She should’ve destroyed him and simply made another.  


But she couldn’t. Maybe it was the fact he was a child, or maybe it was just Kane being foolish, but she couldn’t find will in her black heart to dispose of him. The way he looked up at her and stumbled around sometimes was priceless. She felt a desire. A desire to protect.  


She even named him. Gaster. Kane would only accept help from him when that name was called. None of her other skeletons deserved a name. Gaster was special. Unique.  


“Gaster. Come here please.”  


He approached obediently, keeping his head bowed.  


“Gaster, I need you to fetch me my casting book.”  


“Yes mistress” he chirped in that delightful, quiet little voice of his.  


Kane smiled and watched the skeleton scamper off to the library, his bones clicking softly against the cold, stone floor of her home.  


“There's something strange about that one” a follower remarked. Kane didn’t even remember his name, but he was loyal so she was fine with his presence. That is until he insults her favorite skeleton.  


“He’s curious.” She brushed her jet black hair away from her face.  


“Because of all you’ve done for me madam Kane, I would gladly get rid of it for you. Not a problem in slightest.”  


That made Kane’s grin twist into a frown. “That won’t be necessary.” Who did the fool think he is?  


"It’s dangerous to have an intelligent slave madam Kane.”  


Kane was sufficiently displeased with this man’s presence now. She loomed over him and grit her teeth. “I do not need your assistance.” The venom from her voice made the air itself seem toxic.  


Gaster scuttled back inside and handed his master her special book. “Thank you Gaster.”  


Gaster nodded and took his place standing next to Kane. She pet the small skeleton on his head and smiled.  


Kane flipped through the pages, seeing if anything peaks her interest. She didn’t need any more recruits for her horde, and there wasn’t anyone in the village she had a vendetta against. So what to do? Her thoughts were interrupted by a small whimpering sound.  


Kane glanced up from the pages to see her follower getting far too close to Gaster, staring at him up and down like a specimen to be dissected. The skeleton seemed to squirm in place, clearly not liking this stranger being so close. Most of her servants from the horde would simply ignore him and continue their duty, but Gaster seemed genuinely distressed. 

She couldn’t have that now could she?  


“I must ask you to leave my skeletons alone peasant.” The man snapped his head up, before taking one more look at Gaster.  


“My apologizes madam Kane.” He backed up. You could see the breath of relief Gaster took. It always amused Kane when her skeletons seemed to breath without lungs or eat without a stomach. "What do you plan to do with it?"  


"He will remain here until he proves a problem, which he has not. And I must ask you to stop referring to him and an 'it'."  


"I do not see that as wise. I would advise you to neutralize the problem before it becomes a problem."  


"I think it would be wise for you to leave before I feed you to wild dogs for insulting me."  


The peasant gulped and backed away as quickly as possible. “You are absolutely correct madam Kane. I will go now if you allow it.”  


“Dismissed.”  


The follower scampered away, back to their pitiful village. At last he was gone. Kane glanced at Gaster, who had an eye on the book. There was that spark of his again, that curiosity again.  


“What’s on your mind little one?”  


Gaster perked up but didn’t respond. He chewed on the collar of his black sweater he wore. “Nothing mistress.”  


There’s something new.  


He learned how to lie.


	2. Looking Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay. So, to be short, this is a flash-back chapter. This talks about how Gaster came to be so... yeah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think this is enough to get the warning activated, but just as a heads up, there's some mention of violence and death. It's nothing bad, but I just thought I'd warn you anyway.

Looking back, maybe it wasn’t a good idea to use a child corpse for a horde member, but Kane went ahead and used one anyway. She had found the body in the old well, deep in decomposition. Most of its flesh was already gone, but what remained was being chewed by maggots to the point of being unrecognizable. The large stab wound on its chest was slightly concerning, as was the suspicious bruises around his neck, but she’d investigate that later. She took all the steps necessary: cleaned the body, removed the flesh and blood, and engraved the appropriate magic symbols on his sternum.  


When Kane brought life to the skeleton, she expected him to just stand up and do what she ordered it. But, when he woke up, he didn’t seem to know what to do with itself. He tried to stand, but fell face first on new legs.  


The sorceress watched for several minutes how this small skeleton continuously tried and failed to stand and walk around.  


What went wrong? Kane did everything right. She’d done this hundreds of times before. What was different?  


Kane picked up the fumbling skeleton and lied him down on the table she performed the ritual on. She looked him up and down, trying to find any flaw.  


Oh. There’s the problem. A crack in his sternum, damaging the symbols. That wound must’ve damaged more than originally thought and the carving just aggravated it. Curses.  


Kane sighed. This skeleton was flawed. She should probably destroy it before it causes trouble. She couldn’t use an uncoordinated skeleton in a battle.  


“Mistress” a small voice whispered, interrupting her thoughts. Kane turned to look at the skeleton. He was using the table as support but was standing. “How may I serve you?”  


'It’s clear his obedience hasn’t been disrupted' Kane thought to herself. His knees were shaking, but it was obvious he wanted to serve.  


Wanted? No. He has no choice or free will. He doesn’t ‘want’ anything.  


Kane handed him clothes and helped him get dressed. He then proceeded to chew on the sleeve.  


“Don’t do that” Kane ordered. The skeleton stopped immediately.  


“Yes mistress.” Kane looked him up and down until she met his eyes. They weren’t dead or hollow like the others. They weren’t glazed over in a trance like state. Instead, they had small, white pinpricks acting like pupils. They were bright and alive and filled with almost… wonder?  


Kane shook it off. It was nothing but a quirk from the crack. They would fade away in time.  


“Follow me” she hissed.

The quirks didn’t fade. They got more plentiful and frequent as time went on. He still stumble and has now started slouching around his neck and shoulders. He still chewed on his sleeves until the ends became frayed with holes. That only made him move on to chewing the collar.  


He tapped his phalanges together making a very soft clicking noise whenever it got too quiet. He rubbed his feet together when he was sitting. He fidgeted whenever someone he didn’t recognize came to close.  


At least he follows ordered. Kane can handle some tapping or a ‘nervous’ skeleton, but she wouldn’t handle a disobedient one.  


But the way he looked at her, those pinpricks staring at her in what seemed like admiration. There wasn’t anything to admire about Kane. She took what she wanted and treated those beneath her like dirt.  


And yet, he still looked up to her. Like a… child.  


Kane tried to shake these thoughts away. But it became harder and harder. The more quirks he grew, the more difficult it was to ignore him.  


What was she going to do?  



	3. Ink, Magic, and New Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What has Kane found in her library? Stay tuned and find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left kudos. Comments and feedback are always welcome and accepted.

Kane was jostled out of her private, quiet reflection by a slight bump from down the hall. Kane hated to be awoken in the middle of the night. But here she was, sitting up in her bed, listen for the sound that arose from her slumber. Several soft noises echoed through her house from her library. She sighed and took a hold of her dagger, the long, curved blade shining in faint lantern light. She hates it when peasants try sneak in there. Trying to learn her secrets, plotting against her, vandalizing her home. And the mess afterward is such a hassle to clean up. Blood is a pain to get off of her books.  


She moved with alien grace when she entered the cluttered room. Papers scattered everywhere, books stacked and packed into shelves, and bottles and bottles of ink both regular and magic covered the desks and remaining open space. She saw candle light flicker on a desk with a figure stooped over it, scribbling like mad on a piece of parchment.  


Kane stooped over the intruder quietly to see what he was trying to steal from her. He was covering up what he was writing, but recognized the book. Her casting book.  
Kane snuck up and slammed the book closed.  


“Awfully curious now aren’t we” she hissed.  


The intruder snapped his head up and whipped around, his face being revealed in the light. The shock of the face in front of her nearly made her drop the dagger entirely.  


“Gaster?” The child eyed the dagger and began trembling.  


“I’m sorry mistress. I’ll clean.” The child was shaking and scrambled to stand up.  


He hastily put the book back on the shelf and picked up the scattered papers, the ink still wet. Kane picked one up to see rough scribbles of Hands, Gaster’s obscure writing. To an outsider looks like random symbols and chicken scratch, but Kane’s learned to read it like English. It’s actually similar to the language in her casting book.  


On the page where detailed notes from the casting book about the nature of magic and souls. He broke apart and analyzed almost every aspect of every page. Kane recognized some words as the chant used to bring her skeletons to life. She recognized spells used to hex people and the recipe for healing tonics.  


“Gaster” Kane asked. The skeleton stopped moving almost instantly. His back went rigid and his breathing sped up. “Did you write all of this?”  


“Y-y-y-yes mistress” he whimpered as he cleaned up the drops of ink off the table.  


Kane read over the notes again. There was minimal understanding of grammar and his hand writing was atrocious, but what he was writing showed potential. She reached out and stopped Gaster from moving, not that she needed to as the poor skeleton was already frozen in fear. She felt his shoulders tense up so much it felt like his bones would snap at any moment. The skeleton did not take his eyes off the dagger for the longest time.  


“I’m sorry for sneaking in here mistress. This is the only book I can read and I-I-I wanted to know more.” The child was fumbling over his words in a nervous haze to explain himself. “I won’t come in here ever again. I promise.” He closed his eyes and bowed his head, looking like a sad puppy.  


“Gaster, this is really impressive.”  


Gaster perked up slightly. “R-r-really?”  


“It is. Most ‘apprentices’ I meet can’t reach this level of understanding. You show real promise.”  


“I do? I was just writing what seemed logical.”  


“Humans tend to not think with logic Gaster.” Kane rubbed the child’s skull.  


“So you aren’t going to punish me?”  


“I never punish the pursuit of knowledge child. As long as it’s not used against me,”  


Gaster’s face went from scared to relieved in a matter of seconds. His bones went lax, and his shoulders slumped down. Quiet amazing. This skeleton shouldn’t even be able to disobey, much less feel sorry about disobeying or relief when they’re not punished.  


“Thank you for your mercy mistress.” He went down and bowed at his master’s feet.  


Normally Kane would be reveling in this. To have someone thanking them for something as simple as mercy, to have them treating her like a queen, to be adored like this. But she didn’t this time. Instead, she sighed and bent down to his level. She put a hand on his shoulder.  


“Gaster. I would like you to be my apprentice.”  


Gaster fumbled with his hands for a second. The utter look of shock on his face made Kane’s heart feel warmer. “I do as you wish mistress.”  


“Gaster. We both know you are above that.”  


The small skeleton tilted his head in one of the most confused expressions Kane had ever seen. He looked down at his hands and looked back at her.  


“But, I am your servant.”  


“Gaster, if you were only that, you wouldn’t even be in here in the first place. You couldn’t be here unless I tell you to be here.”  


The skeleton blinked a few times but remained silent.  


“I will teach you to read and write English. I will train you in magic. You’ll work alongside me as an equal. But only if you want to.”  


Gaster chewed on the neck of his sweater like he always did when he was nervous, the sleeves of which had become tattered with holes. “Are you sure mistress?”  


It was Kane’s turn to blink. Was she? Was she really offering one of her horde members a mentorship, something that most witches or mages can only dream of?  


“I am young one.”  


His eyes lit up like only a child could. “Thank you mistress. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”  


Kane grinned and embraced the small skeleton, her new apprentice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a bit longer to update. Life happens you know.
> 
> Also: Big shout-out to my beta reader Shadowlover911. You should check out her story over on fanfiction.net. If you like sonic, you'll like this one. Here's the link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10536657/1/A-Werehog-in-Station-square


	4. Strange magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic is a powerful thing. Maybe it can give a puppet a brain,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? A long(ish) chapter? What is this madness?
> 
> Anyway, sorry to the maybe 2 people actively following this that this is so late. This chapter was a nightmare to write. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Kane has been waiting to do this for a long time. She just wasn’t sure if she should. Giving a skeleton a soul? That was unheard of.  


Skeletons weren’t meant to have a soul. Their purpose is to serve or fight. Nothing else. Souls gave them magic of their own. It gave them empathy, love, and compassion. Without a soul, they wouldn’t even flinch at the thought of killing someone or even another skeleton.  


But, if Gaster was going to be an apprentice, he needed magic other than the small amount keeping him alive.  


Kane placed Gaster down on the ritual table and removed his sweater. She gazed at the symbol on his sternum and the crack that started everything. She felt a wave of sweet nostalgia wash over her soul.  


“Mistress? What are you doing? Do you need my services?”  


Kane sighed and ran a hand across Gaster’s skull, whispering a spell. A sleeping spell to be more specific. The lights in his eyes went out as he fell into unconsciousness. It was almost sad seeing his body go limp like that, but Kane had a job to do.  


“Can’t have you trying to stop me.”  


Kane knew what came next. It was impossible to make a functional soul out of nothing. That was basic science. You couldn’t make something from nothing. But Kane did know she could make a weak soul with what she had.  


The enchantress drew out her own soul. It pulsed red with faint traces of black swirling around the core. Taking bother of her hands, she pinched the two sides of the floating heart.  


“It’s only five seconds” she reminded herself. “It’ll heal. Just… five… seconds…”  


She pulled the two halves in opposite directions. It split slowly down the middle. This hurts. Wow does this hurt. God almighty this hurts. It was a good thing Gaster was down for now. Her skeletons had been programed to stop whatever caused her pain. In most ways, it was useful, like when someone tried to attack her. But right now, she didn’t want this stopped.  


It felt like fire shot every nerve in Kane’s body. She had to summon all willpower to keep herself from passing out in pain. She was lucky she was such a powerful human. Any lesser soul wouldn't have survived.  


Kane took a huge gasp of air as the fire stopped. The soul was now in two pieces, one piece larger than the other.  
Quickly, she placed the larger half back into her chest and gazed at the smaller piece. It seemed to get most of the red from her core, as it quivered and pulsed a light scarlet color.  


Acting swiftly, she tucked the small pseudo soul into a small jar filled with a pale, blue liquid. It shook and gurgled in the liquid of Kane’s own design.  


The concoction was a strange thing to make. Made out of an elixir of magic tonics and a special substance called determination. The substance that allows souls to persist out of the body. But for this purpose, it just needed to keep the soul fragment from fracturing after all. In any case, Gaster belonged more to the monster race than to the human race now.  


The soul quivered in the jar. It made distressed movements, violently jerking in random directions.  


“Come on, come on” Kane begged. “Settle already.”  


As if it was listen to Kane’s words, the soul fragment stopped struggling. It pulsed, slowly at first before the pace quickened. It sped up faster and faster before halting all movement.  


The soul fragment tipped upside down and grew back its missing side. The colors of the original soul and the liquid surrounding it mixed, making it emit a lavender glow. A new monster soul now sat in the vile, pulsing at a steady pace, similar to a heartbeat.  


“There we go. There we go.”  


Now all that needed to be done was connect the soul to the new vessel. Which meant Gaster’s nap was over.  


“Gaster darling. Wake up now.” She shook the skeleton’s shoulder in a gentle manner.  


The skeleton’s eyes sparked back to life as he sat up on the table. “Greetings mistress.”  


Kane smiled. Gaster’s voice never failed to delight her. He hugged his knees up to his chest and rubbed his feet together.  


“Gaster. I have something to give you.”  


“Really? A gift for me?”  


Kane nodded and lifted up the jar for him to see. Gaster cocked his head to the side to get a better look at it. The lights in his eyes flickered in fascination with the floating, inverted, purple heart.  


“It’s pretty” he commented as he tapped his fingers against the jar.  


“This is your gift. I’m giving you a soul.”  


The exact moment Kane’s words sunk into Gaster’s mind was visible on his face. His eye sockets somehow expanded, taking up almost his entire upper face.  


“You’re… giving me what?”  


“A soul Gaster. If you’re going to be my apprentice, you’ll need a soul to go with it.”  


Gaster couldn’t cry, but if he could he probably would right now. His eye lights were shaking and he made slightly strangled sounds of joy.  


Kane took this opportunity to open the jar and show him the soul in a closer perspective, taking it and letting it float between her hands. Taking one hand away, she guided Gaster’s raddling hands under the soul. He drew his hands back slowly, the soul following them.  


Gaster gazed in wonder at the floating upside-down heart in his hands.  


“What do I do?”  


“Bring it close to your chest.”  


Gaster obeyed and held the tiny heart close to his rib cage. He felt a tingle of energy all around him. Was this what magic felt like?  


He was suddenly snapped out of his thinking when he felt his own, frail magic, if one could call it that, tugging at the soul.  


“Do you feel a pull?”  


Gaster nodded.  


“Let the pull absorb the soul.”  


Gaster felt resistance melt away. The soul hovered in the air for a second before floating into his rib cage.  


The first thing Gaster felt was rippling pain, emanating from his chest. Air emptied from his body and he collapsed into a shuddering pile of bones. He frothed a purple substance at the mouth and out his nose. Bones fused together and warped and twisted.  


After about a minute of struggled breathing, the waves of pain dissolved into a strange warm feeling. It felt… good? It wasn’t a bad feeling so it must be good. It was comforting in a way and flowed through his bones like warm water.  


He looked at his hands and was slightly startled by what he saw. The joints in his palms and metacarpals fused together with his fingers still independent bones, giving them a doll-like quality. As far as he could tell, it did affect his dexterity at all. His feet were a similar story. He was dazzled by the purple aura at his fingertips. He felt the energy buzz and crackle from where the soul now rested in his body.  


“Mistress? What’s this feeling? What’s this weird buzzing in my chest?”  


“It’s magic Gaster.”  


“Magic?”  


Gaster wiggled his fingers through the aura. And, for the first time in his short existence, he laughed. Just like his voice, his laugh was a bubbly delight.


	5. New sights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kane takes Gaster to a special sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some fluff.

Kane sighed as she sat down on the ground in a clearing of the swamp all around her. It was a quiet place, mainly populated my Moldsmals, Moldbyggs, and the occasional Froggit. The cypress trees swayed quietly in the wind as evening started to set in. The sun began to set calmly in the west of the mountain called Ebott that monsters seemed drawn to, pale grey clouds resting in the sky, turning pink and orange as the sun sank into the horizon.  


It was on nights like this that Kane could simply melt away into the peace.  


“Mistress. Why did you bring me out here?”  


“I want to show you something young one.”  


Gaster nodded and sat cross legged next to her on the ground. His eye lights flickered around, taking in all the sights. Kane could almost hear his new soul pulse in anticipation. The small purple glow from his ribcage made the enchantress smile.  


As the last of the light faded away and dusk turned to night, Kane gazed up at the bright stars above. She turned to her charge who was staring at the sky in wonder, the lights in his eyes wide and full of the kind of curiosity only a small child could have. He’s seen stars before, but never through eyes with a soul. She smiled warmly and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.  


“Mistress. Can you tell me about the sky dots?” He pointed to the stars as he said that.  


“Those are stars Gaster. They’re balls of light very far away from us that burn like fire.”  


“How do they do that? Fire needs fuel to burn.”  


“There are somethings we just don’t know yet. Somethings just can’t be explained right now.”  


“Like magic?”  


“Exactly.”  


Gaster seemed to think about this for a moment as he went quiet and tapped his fingers together. He still gazed up at the stars but then cocked his head.  
“Are stars supposed to move?”  


Kane raised an eyebrow. “What? No, they don’t normally.”  


Gaster seemed more confused, as was Kane, until a yellow glow appeared right in front of the skeleton’s face.  


He whimpered for a second but then gazed at the new object, fascinated.  


Kane chuckled. “These aren’t stars. These are called fireflies.”  


“Fireflies….” Gaster watched the insect fly around his head and giggled. He reached out with his hands and caught it between his palms. He looked into his hands and watched the bug fly around. Until it flew into his eye socket.  


“Oh dear” Kane said, trying to hold back a snicker. The firefly buzzed around in Gaster’s head with the skeleton having an absolutely dumbfounded look on his face the whole time. You could see the small glow light up occasionally within the darkness of his skull.  


All the while, Kane tried so hard not to burst out laughing.  


The bug eventually found its way out of the child’s skull and fluttered happily along.  


Gaster and Kane finally burst out laughing at the whole scene. Gaster nearly fell over he was laughing so hard. Kane’s ribs hurt by the end.  


Gaster regained his breath but still giggled. Kane rubbed the child’s skull and sighed. Gaster’s only had his soul for about a week, yet the enchantress didn’t want to go back to life without his bubbly laugh.  


He curled his toes in and rubbed his feet together.  


“Thank you for taking me out here Mistress.”  


“You haven’t even seen the best part.”  


“What?”  


“Look up. It’s starting.”  


Gaster glanced up and it took Kane all of her will power to not laugh. The exact moment his imagination was captured by the meteor shower above was visible on his face. She sighed and pulled the skeleton into a half hug, his head resting on her shoulder, and let her soul relax into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is so short. At least it came out quickly(?)  
> Coming soon (I promise): Magic training.


	6. Intruder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Gaster sleeps, what did Kane's skeletons find in her library?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Another long chapter? I know. I'm shocked as well. Any who, I hope you all enjoy. Note the new tags.

As the meteor shower ended, Kane felt weight being slowly added to her side. She looked down to find that Gaster has fallen asleep and was curled up against her waist. Fireflies rested on his small form as he peacefully breathed in and out.  


“Oh dear” she sighed half-heartedly. She suppressed a small chuckle and scooped up the sleeping skeleton, cradling him in her arms. His head bobbed forward and his body folded in on itself, his face sinking into the collar of his dark grey sweater, using it as a blanket of sorts.  


“Sweet dreams young one.”  


She stood up slowly, trying not to disturb her new load. His legs dangled out of her grasp from his knees.  


Kane brushed the hair from her face as she started the trek back home. She listened to the crickets sing their song and the owl glide through the tree tops on the hunt, the light breeze and the air casted by the owl's wings making the leaves on the trees dance and sway to the rhythm of the night.  


The soft lights from the house soon emerged from between the trees. Kane sighed as she opened the door to the old wooden mansion.  


“Mistress. You have returned” a tall servant skeleton acknowledged. Kane had almost forgotten about them. They weren’t anything like Gaster. While Gaster had life and sprit (even before his new soul), his kin were dead-eyed, hollow-voiced, and did nothing unless they were ordered to.  


“Yes. Has anything happened while I was out?”  


“An intruder was found in the library. We have apprehended them and are awaiting commands.”  


Kane nodded. “Take Gaster to his sleeping quarters. I’ll deal with this intruder.”  


“Yes mistress” the skeleton said with a bow in its monotone voice. It scooped up the sleeping child and walked down the hall with precise, coordinated steps.  


Once they were out of sight, Kane switched her mood from calm to cold. She gathered her hair and tucked it behind her shoulders and wiped any traces of kindness from her face. She power-walked toward her library and swung the door open.  


What she was greeted to was two guard skeletons struggling to hold a human down. They were a small thing, that’s for sure. Their brown hair was covering their face, but they seemed male.  


“Get off of me you abominations! Unhand me!”  


“Now that seems rather rude don’t you think” Kane snapped. The human’s head shot up at the voice. His face went from angry to horrified in about two seconds. Kane loved it when they did that.  


“M-m-m-madam Kane!”  


“Explain yourself.”  


“I-I-I just needed a spell. I swear.”  


“What book was he looking in?”  


A servant skeleton handed her a spell book with a black, leather color. A page was folded down, bookmarked in a way. She flipped to that page to check.  


“This is a pretty dangerous spell peasant.” The spell in question could summon a minor demon for a week on Earth. There was no guarantee the caster could control the demon, but it could be done.  


The human remained silent. His green eyes were fixed to the ground. That wouldn’t do.  


Kane gave the book back to the skeleton and kneeled down in front of the intruder.  


“Answer me this. Why, would you try to break into my library for such an unpredictable spell?”  


And again, the human said nothing. Kane snickered. She placed her hand under his chin to make him look up.  


“Answer me.”  


Then he did something surprising. The human’s face turned to disgust, like the fear on his face was fabricated. And then there was the laugh. A dry, humorless laugh fell from his mouth, his eyes locked to Kane’s. “You’re a devil.”  


“Says the one who tried to summon an actual demon.”  


“Like I would stoop to that satanic level you witch.”  


“Then why are you here?”  


“I wouldn’t tell you even if you tortured me.”  


“If you are not going to be cooperative, then I have no reason to keep you alive.”  


The human responded by spitting in her face.  


Kane sighed and wiped the spit away. She dropped his face and stood up tall. “Skeletons, let him go.”  


They did so without a word. The human dropped to his hands.  


“You’re letting me leave?” His expression softened, confusion creeping into his features.  


“No. I just didn’t want my skeletons covered in blood.”  


Before the human could say another word, Kane’s eyes flashed bright red mixed with black. Her right hand went down to the ground and then shot back in the air. Black spears erupted from the ground, impaling the intruder in the chest and stomach. Small droplets of blood dripped on the floor before he collapsed to the ground.  


“Get him out of here” she ordered. The servant skeleton placed the spell book down and started dragging the body out the door. “You two, return to your posts.” The guards nodded and returned to their original spot by the door.  


The servant that carried Gaster to bed stepped inside with something in its hand.  


“Mistress” the servant said. “He was holding this when the guards apprehended him.”  


It outstretched a boney hand, a medallion in its palm. It was a simple design. The delta rune with an hour glass shape in front of it.  


“Hmm… Interesting.” She looked at the servant. “You are dismissed.” It nodded and walked off back to its post.  


Kane stared it the bronze pendant as she walked toward her sleeping quarters. She placed it on her bedside table, taking one last good look at it and then lying down on her bed, making a mental note to add more guards in the morning. She then closed her eyes and let sleep swallow her mind away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Magic practice I promise.


	7. Practice makes perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I promised, here's the magic training chapter. See ending notes for a special announcement.

Gaster shifted his weight from foot to foot with excitement. Today was his first day of training. He would finally be able to use his magic. He’s felt the energy in his new soul crackle and buzz within his being and he was aching to let it out.

“Gaster darling” his mistress called out, snapping him from his thoughts. “Are you ready for your first magic lesson?”

“More than anything mistress.”

“Good. Let us begin. Follow me.”

Gaster eagerly followed Kane through the halls of her large estate, her dark red dress flowing behind her. His feet made the familiar clicking sound as he stepped on the stone floor. He liked that sound. It easily calmed his mostly frayed nerves.

The pair stopped inside a large, circular room with a tall ceiling. Kane stretched her arms over her head and stepped toward the center.

“Let us begin.” Kane clapped her hands together, causing bright red sparks to shoot out and around her. “First thing to learn: There are three main types of magic. There’s idle magic, combative magic, and special magic. Idle magic are abilities to use outside of a fight. It’s the simplest type to execute. In fact, you’re using some right now.” 

Gaster glanced at his hands, confusion now present in his mind.

“Keeping you alive and in one piece takes magic darling. Bones don’t normally move without muscle or flesh.”

Gaster nodded and rattled his bones together in response. Kane couldn’t help but laugh at the skeleton’s antics.

“Now then. First, we’ll work on summoning your magic. Can you feel the energy in your body?”

“Yes mistress.”

“I want you to concentrate on that energy, and gather it around your soul.”

Gaster fixated in the energy, as he felt it gather around his soul to the point where it glowed from under his sweater. It gave his soul a tingling sensation and his bones became slightly numb.

“What do I do now?”

“Just let the magic flow where and how it wants, but try to keep it under control.”

Gaster felt the energy wander from his soul into his throat, to his skull. It felt strange and it wanted to scatter back throughout his body, but the skeleton kept himself fixated on the energy. The lights in his eyes flickered out and was replaced with a purple, glowing ring of magic.

Gaster expected many things from magic. But a pair of glowing, skeletal hands appearing in front of him was not one of those things. They looked like his own hands, but washed in a purple light.

“I did it! Look mistress! I did it!”

“Great job Gaster.” His eyes went wide with joy. He knew this was probably nothing compared to her magic, but to hear her praise him like this just made his soul warm. In his small break of concentration, the hands fizzled out.

“Aw.” Gaster almost instantly deflated, his shoulders hunched and his head dipped lower.

Kane chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder. “You lost focus. But don’t worry. Magic is a tough thing to get a grip on. But, you _did_ do very well for your first attempt.”

Gaster perked up slightly, his smile returning. “Thank you mistress.”

“Now. Try again. Practice makes perfect.”

The pair kept at practice for the next three hours. Each time Gaster summoned the hands, they became stronger and stronger. It became increasingly easier for him to summon his magic and give it a physical form. He could feel his soul getting stronger little by little until he reached his limit.

“I think that’s enough for today” Kane sighed, seeing sweat beading on the child’s skull.

“I’m fine.”

“Don’t overexert yourself.”

“I can keep going. I promise.” Gaster’s bones ached, his soul pulsed weakly, and his magic felt like sludge in his ribcage, but, he was determined to prove himself. He tried to gather his magic to summon the hands once more but his soul refused.

“Gaster. I can sense your magic. It’ll only hurt you to keep going.”

“No. I can do it.”

Gaster tried to force his magic toward his soul, but it only made him feel sick and light headed. Very small, hairline cracks started splitting around his eye sockets, causing pain to shoot through his skull. Kane put a hand on the skeleton’s shoulder.

“That’s enough. Those cracks are your soul's way of telling you you've reached your limit. You're considered a monster. You body's almost completely made of magic now. If you use too much, your body will start feeling physically sick and injured."

Gaster dipped his head in defeat. His eyes flickered back to their normal as magic scattered back through his body.

"I don’t want you making yourself sick. Come now. You have much more to learn than magic.” Gaster perked up as Kane wrapped her arm around his shoulder and guided him toward the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. If you paid attention to the beginning notes, you're here for the special announcement. This story will be put on hiatus for the month of July. My beta-reader will be gone for the month and my life is about to get _very_ busy. I will be back in August with new chapters, but when exactly that will be I can't say. Just stay tuned and I'll be back. Thank you for your understanding.
> 
> Edit 9/4/16: Holy crap I just realized I forgot to add a super important paragraph to this chapter. Well. It's there now at least. Heh... I'm sorry. ;w;


	8. A Day Downtown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip out to town leads Gaster to meet some new monsters and a little mystery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back. This author. That's who. And with a long chapter to go with it. Boom.

Kane hated going down to the village. Gaster knew it. He could see it in her face, in her tone of voice, and in the way she walked. He never understood it himself. She had nothing to fear, unlike him.  


Gaster always pretended he didn’t notice the hateful stares he got from most of the town garrison or the look of fear most people had when they looked at him. It didn’t matter if they were human or monster, they all either hated him, disgusted by him, or just afraid of him.  


It didn’t help that the skeleton was a nervous wreck. He hated large crowds of people he didn’t recognize. He didn’t like leaving the mansion or being alone.  


And yet, here he was, in the village surrounded by strange faces and voices and sounds. He held Kane’s hand tightly, trying desperately to keep his soul calm.  


“Gaster” she cooed. The skeleton stopped walking and looked up to her. “I have some private business I need to attend to. I need you to go get lantern oil from the market.” She handed his a small pouch of coins. “This should be enough. Do you understand?”  


Gaster looked around, eyes flickering from human to human, monster to monster, feeling all eyes on him and Kane. “Yes mistress.” His voice was quiet and Gaster hated he sounded so pathetic. He pleaded with his eyes, begging Kane not to leave him alone.  


“You’ll be okay darling. It’ll be over before you know it. Meet me back at the fountain in fifteen minutes. If you’re not done by then, I’ll come find you.”  


“Thank you mistress.”  


Kane gave Gaster a reassuring pat on the back before entering a dark, brick building.  


The skeleton took a deep breath to try to recompose himself. He half buried his face in his sweater and tried to make himself as small as possible to not attract attention. His tried to subdue his nerves as he walked toward the market by listening to the rhythmic clicking of his bones against the cobble stone side walk, but the world around him was too noisy. All around him, he could hear villagers talking amongst themselves.  


“Look. It’s one of Kane’s abominations.”  


“Isn’t that her little pet skeleton she’s been keeping around lately?”  


“Did you hear that she named it? How twisted can you get to name a corpse?”  


“Why haven’t the Sealers or the guard done something about those… things yet?”  


Gaster didn’t have a strong opinion toward his skeleton kin around the house one way or another. To him, they were just magic given a body that he happened to look like. He knew the nature of his own existence, of his creation. He knew he used to be a dead human, but was brought to life by magic. He knew what he was and was comfortable with it. Most of the time anyways… But, with everyone around him saying he’s an abomination or a thing, it’s hard to keep that confidence.  


Gaster shook his head and shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind as he stepped into the small, wooden structure he remembers from previous excursions as the shop.  


The few people in the shop turned their heads to the skeleton. Gaster quickly analyzed his company: three monsters, two humans, and the shop keep. The human shop keeper gritted his teeth in what Gaster presumed was either hate or disgust.  


“What do you want?”  


“H-H-How much for lamp oil?”  


“Prices are posted right here” the merchant spat and pointed to a sign nailed to the counter. “Can’t you read?”  


Gaster felt his face go purple. No. He can’t. Not English at least. If it were Hands then he would barely have to glance at it. But he doubted anyone in town even knew about 

that language, much less write in it.  


The shop keeper snickered at the skeleton’s face. “You seriously can’t read? Are you stupid or something?”  


Gaster whimpered. He looked at the sign and squinted. He recognized the squiggles as numbers, but, beyond that, he had no idea what it said.  


The skeleton flinched at the human’s laughing. His face went an even deeper purple color and tried to hide in his sweater.  


“I can read” he insisted. “Just not English.”  


“Well learn. If you’re going to come in here, learn some damn English.”  


“I-I-I just need lamp oil. How much is it?”  


“Twenty.”  


Gaster nodded, his face burning with embarrassment, and started counting the money. His nonexistent stomach twisted when he came up with only fifteen.  


“I don’t have twenty. I have fifteen.”  


“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to count too. The price is twenty.”  


“No it isn’t” a scratchy voice commented. Both Gaster and the shopkeeper turned toward the voice. A young turtle monster was leaning against the wall with a slightly younger fire monster.  


“What are you talking about?”  


“While he can’t read, we can. That sign says twelve G and you know it.”  


The shop keeper didn’t say anything in response. He just twiddled his thumbs for a second. “No it doesn’t” he finally mumbled.  


The turtle cackled at the human. “Wow. And you’re making fun of him for not being able to read your own sign.”  


“Shut up Gerson.”  


“Who are you to embarrass a kid who can’t read English and then try to scam him because of that?”  


“This ain’t a kid. Have you two not seen these… things? That witch Kane keeps them as slaves and body guards. They’re nothin’ but a corpse brought to life.”  


Gaster rubbed his feet together and tried not to cry. Tears were the last thing he needed right now.  


“Please” he spoke up. “Mistress just needs lantern oil. I have the twelve G.” He placed the coins on the desk. The human swiped them away.  


“Here. Just take it you abomination.” The merchant shoved the jar of oil into Gaster’s hands, glaring at him. “Get out of here.”  


Gaster backed away slowly, feeling all eyes on him. “Out!” the human snapped. Gaster flinched at the order, but turned on his heel and practically ran for the door. The turtle monster gave the skeleton a sympathetic look and held open the door for him.  


“Thank you” he murmured. He hugged the jar close to his body and squeezed his eyes shut. He would not cry. He would not show weakness like that.  


Despite his mental protest, he felt tears prick the corners of his eyes as he made it out the door. He was about to run when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.  


Gaster whipped around to see the fire elemental. He was looked at Gaster from behind wide, round glasses as his head flickered with orange, yellow, and golden flames. The skeleton whimpered slightly.  


“Hey kid. Are you okay?”  


Gaster looked behind the elemental’s shoulder to see the turtle monster coming closer.  


“I’m fine.”  


“Ya’ sure? Ya’ don’t look fine. That guy was a jerk for what he was doing.”  


“It’s nothing. Just, please leave me alone.”  


The elemental and turtle looked at each other for a second.  


“Don’t you know what I am?”  


“You’re one of Kane’s skeletons. We know.”  


“Then why are you helping me? Don’t you fear me? Aren’t you disgusted by me? I’m a living corpse.”  


“Maybe you were at one point” the turtle said. “But not now.”  


Gaster’s soul pulsed for a second in surprise. “What?”  


“You’re a monster.”  


The soul in his chest felt suddenly lighter.  


“You look surprised. Monsters can sense a soul and magic for any given being. Your soul is a strange one, but it reads as a monster clear as day.”  


A monster. Not a thing. Not a corpse. A monster. Gaster smiled at the thought.  


The fire elemental nudged the turtle and started moving his hands quickly and in different shapes that seemed oddly familiar to Gaster. The turtle nodded for a second as the elemental made more symbols with his hands.  


The two monsters turned back to the skeleton. “I’m Gerson by the way” the turtle said. “And this is Grillby.”  


The fire elemental waved at the mention of his name and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his brown jacket. Gaster raised a brow in confusion.  


“He doesn’t talk much. English isn’t his first language either.”  


Gaster smiled slightly. Gerson cackled and rubbed his hand through the flames on Grillby’s head.  


The fire elemental flailed his hands again.  


“I’ll noogie the fire as much as I want” Gerson corrected. He wrapped one arm around the small fire monsters and held him against his chest.  


Grillby giggled quietly, his voice having a crackling undertone to it. His mouth opened slightly, revealing jagged, magma teeth.  


Gerson cackled again and released his smaller companion. Gaster started laughing brightly at the two’s antics.  


“I’m Gaster” the skeleton managed to wheeze through his laughing.  


“Well it’s nice to meet ya’ Gaster” Gerson said with a smile, his hand outstretched. Gaster took it and shook the turtle’s hand.  


Gaster turned to walk away, but Gerson stepped in front of him.  


“I have to go to the fountain now. My mistress is waiting for me.”  


“We’ll follow ya’. Come on. I don’t want ya’ feeling bone-ly.”  


You could almost feel Grillby roll his eyes. Gaster snickered, more at Gerson’s cackling rather than the poor joke itself. Gaster nodded at the offer anyway, as the three monsters made their way back to the center of the town.  


As Gerson chatted with him, Gaster’s soul became lighter and lighter. The way they spoke to him like he was just a normal monster kid was a precious feeling for the skeleton.  


Grillby tapped on Gaster shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. The fire elemental moved his hands again, seemingly asking a question.  


“He asked if you knew MSL” Gerson explained.  


“I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with it.”  


“That’s what Grillby’s hand waving is. Sign language. Monster sign language to be more specific. It’s a nice way to speak without speaking.”  


“How do you know it?”  


“My mom’s deaf. She can’t hear my voice so I had to learn a different way to communicate with her.” Gaster took note that it looked a lot like Hands.  


A spark of curiosity popped in his mind. He raised his hands and began moving his hands in well-practiced motions.  


_[Do you know Hands little fire?] _Grillby’s eyes lit up in recognition. He signed back in a slightly different style than the one he used.__  


_[A little bit. It’s like MSL but with some more complicated gestures bone friend]. ___  


Gaster’s eyes widened and smiled. [I didn’t think anyone knew Hands.] __  


Grillby’s flames flickered for a moment. He started signing to Gerson again.  


“Hands? I’ve never heard of that language before.”  


“It’s a language all skeletons know. We’re created with the knowledge of the gestures and the writing. It’s the only language I can read for now. It’s the writing the dark spells are written in.”  


Gerson gulped. The two glanced at each other as they made it to the fountain. Gaster picked up a stick and started drawing symbols in the dirt around the road.  


Grillby stared at the symbols in confusion. The symbols were nothing more than random pictures to him, but it was an alphabet to Gaster. Random arrows to Gerson formed numbers to the skeleton.  


“This is my alphabet” Gaster sighed after his symbols were complete.  


“This is a language spells are written in” Gerson asked. He scratched his head with a clawed fingered.  


Gaster nodded. “The top line are letters, the bottom line are numbers.” He brushed the symbols away with the stick.  


“No wonder you couldn’t read the sign” Gerson observed.  


Gaster smiled weakly. “And these are just the lower case letters. Capital letters are even more different than your alphabet.” Gerson and Grillby nodded and glanced over the skeleton’s shoulder. The turtle’s eyes widened in fear and moved in front of the fire elemental to protect him.  


Gaster felt confused. “Guy’s? What’s-” He felt a shadow loom over him. He turned around to find Kane standing behind him, arms folded across her chest.  


“Mistress” Gaster cooed. He stood up quickly and hugged Kane tightly. He broke the hug and handed her the lantern oil.  


“Thank you Gaster darling” Kane sighed. She ran a hand over his skull and he smiled. He turned to his new friends, who were staring at the sorceress in both terror and wonder.  


“Mistress, this is Gerson and Grillby.”  


Kane eyed the two young monsters. They had bowed at her feet, slightly shaking.  


“Stand up young ones.” The two monster very slowly rose to their feet, keeping their eyes off of Kane. She turned to Gaster. “Have they been kind to you darling?”  


“Yes mistress. They were very, very kind to me. Grillby even knows a bit of Hands.”  


Kane nodded.  


“Very well. Then they are friends of mine.”  


Both Gerson and Grillby gazed up at Kane. Their eyes were wide with shock. “Th-th-th-thank you Madam Kane” Gerson stammered.  


Kane was about to respond when loud voices cut her from her thoughts.  


A tall, indigo fire elemental took Grillby in his arms and hugged him tightly, shaking in fear. A large, old-looking turtle monster stood in front of Gerson to protect him.  


“Gerson. Are you alright? Did she hurt you?”  


“No father.”  


“Madam Kane” the fire elemental shuddered. It was male and had a thick accent and crackling in his voice. “Please. Forgive my son for any trouble he caused you.”  


“…………father” Grillby murmured. His voice was so quiet it was easy to miss, but the fire elemental hugging him blinked his glowing, white eyes down at him. “……......I’m fine.”  


Kane smiled shallowly. “I have done nothing to your children, nor do I intend to.”  


The reptile monster and fire elemental stared up at her in disbelief.  


“They have been very kind to my young one here” Kane explained, placing her hand on Gaster’s shoulder. “I have no reason, nor desire to lay a hand on them.”  


Gaster smiled at the older monsters as kindly as he could, but they all stared at Kane in disbelief. Grillby turned in his father’s arm, before signing [Thank you bone friend] in Hands.  


_[It is no trouble. I will see you next time little fire.] ___  


Grillby nodded and gave a thumbs up.  


Gaster’s smile grew wider and waved Gerson goodbye as Kane took his hand and guided him away. The turtle monster smiled and waved back, barely noticing the group of both humans and monsters staring at them in shock.  


Gaster could hear the whispers:  


“Kane knows mercy?”  


“She spared them?”  


“Young one? Does she think that thing is her child or something?”  


Gaster only shook his head. Everyone knew Kane as a heartless witch. Maybe she’s never shown her merciful side to them. But the skeleton knew better. She’s a kind soul to those who deserve it. You just need to earn it first.  


As the pair exited town, Gaster couldn’t help but feel strange eyes on him. He shrugged it off as just more people staring at Kane.  


He didn’t seem to notice the two men in robes watching him from the shadows. They looked at each other for a second before backing away into an unmarked building…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I would be back by August. I didn't lie. It's technically still August where I am, so I'm counting it. Anyway, now that life has calmed down and my beta reader is back, I'll be back with more chapters in the coming months. So stay tuned.  
> ^w^


	9. A Grand Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected visit with a concerning message. Who could it be? What are they saying...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so my life just got wrecked. But, here's the new chapter. Sorry for those who bookmarked it, only to have nothing new for over a month. Have an apology cake.  
> *gives the audience a cake with the words "I'm Sorry" written on the top*

Kane gazed out the window at the warm summer evening. Crickets chirped from the trees as the sun was set low in the sky. The sky was bathed in orange and slight pink.  


Gaster was playing in a field of golden buttercups, laughing and being utterly fascinated by the colors and pollen. The light yellow powder dusted his sweater, seeds sticking to the cloth.  


“Gaster, darling. The sun’s going down,” Kane said, beckoning the child indoors.  


“Coming mistress.” Gaster quickly dusted off his clothes and tried to pick off the seeds. He walked as he did this, making his way to the path leading to the house. The wooded stairs creaked under his weight as he stepped forward. Kane opened the door to let him inside, only to see streaks of bright orange through the trees. Soon, footsteps of both men and horses made their sound clear.  


Gaster stared at the sight before him. Men in armor riding great horses, holding orange banners with the great lion in gold marched their way to the manor court yard.  


“Gaster. Stay behind me please,” Kane ordered. Gaster obeyed, hiding most of his body behind the sorceress while watching quietly. A great carriage being dragged by armored horses eventually made its way to the center.  


A knight dismounted a grey and black horse and stood at attention in front of the carriage. “Announcing the arrival of Grand Mage, Lord Artyus.”  


As the carriage door opened, a short, fat man waddled out onto the cobble stone pathway. Gaster was very unimpressed. This man is a Grand Mage? There was nothing ‘grand’ about him. Kane folded her arms across her chest and glared.  


“Greetings Grand Mage Kane,” the man said, bowing slightly.  


“What do you want Artyus” Kane hissed.  


“Why the hostilities Madam Kane” the fat man grumbled. His voice was a strange mix of deep and high pitched, sounding nasally and unpleasant. Gaster could swear he saw bread crumbs trapped in his thick beard.  


“Maybe because you called my craft an abomination in the face of magic.”  


“Kane. Darling. That was many years ago.”  


“Don’t. Call me. Darling.”  


“Kane my dear, there is no need to be aggressive. I simply have a proposition for you. Let’s talk over tea.”  


Kane raised an eyebrow.  


“You” Artyus ordered, pointing at Gaster. “Fetch us some tea.” Now it was Gaster’s turn to raise an eyebrow. He hid behind Kane further.  


“He is not yours to order around” Kane snapped. “Gaster darling, please go inside.”  


“Yes mistress” Gaster whimpered. He turned around and almost ran back inside.  


“Did you just call it ‘Gaster’?”  


“That is his name, yes.”  


“Name? Kane, it’s a skeleton. A death elemental. They don’t have names. They don’t even have intelligence.”  


“Well he does. Now what is your business here?”  


“Right. May I come in?”  


“You may not.”  


“Oh come now. What are you? Seven years old?”  


“You are not making a convincing case for yourself.” Artyus rolled his eyes. To be honest, Kane just wanted this fat man off her property as soon as possible. “What is your proposition?”  


“Ah. Yes. As you know, most of the Grand Mages serve King Theodor. He has requested your assistance.”  


“Assistance? With what?”  


“You will be paid very, very well.”  


“What is it?”  


“You will be in good graces with the King himself.” Kane was getting very impatient. He grit her teeth.  


“Oh for the love of god, get on with it.”  


Artyus gulped. “The King has requested that we alieve him of this… monster problem.”  


Kane didn’t know what to say to a request like that. It was so ridiculous, she could swear she saw the birds rolling their eyes.  


“I’m sorry, but that was so stupid, I couldn’t have heard that right. He wants to do what?”  


“You heard me correctly. He wants us to dispose of these… creatures infesting this kingdom.”  


“You talk of them like rats.”  


“They might as well be. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a rat monster.”  


“Artyus. They are sentient beings with hopes and dreams just like us. They just come in many shapes and sizes. Have you ever met a bunny monster?”  


“No.”  


“Oh you should. They’re adorable. And amazing bakers.”  


“Madam Kane, please be serious. Are you not aware of their power? They can steal souls Kane. Does that not scare you at all?”  


Kane was very unamused. Did this fool really just say that? To her? “Artyus. You’re scared of monsters stealing your soul?”  


“I am not. The king does.”  


“Pathetic.”  


“Excuse me?”  


“I could take his soul if I wanted. And you don’t see him brining an army to my door. And do you know why?”  


Artyus seemed so stunned by that answer that he didn’t reply.  


“You’re more of a fool than I thought. The answer is that your king doesn’t know for sure that he could kill me. Now get off my property.”  


“The king will hear of this.”  


“Does it look like I care?”  


Artyus tensed up and backed away.  


“Oh. And tell Mistress Jade I said hello” Kane tried to say, but the fat little mage was already in his carriage and slamming the door closed. The knight standing by bowed respectfully toward Kane before remounting his horse.  


Kane stared down the pathway long after the garrison was gone. Something didn’t sit right. She knew this wasn’t over. Not yet at least. She turned back into her manor to think. She smiled warmly when she saw Gaster stooped over a book, trying to write. She pet his back gently before getting her casting book off the shelf, looking for a way to strengthen her guards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi... Just saying sorry. Hopefully the next one won't take as long.


	10. Castle of Dromore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all have bad dreams. Even those of us who barely understand what dreams are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all. I'm back with a new chapter. There's actually a lullaby in this one. If anyone's curious about what it actually sounds like, I'll put in a link at the end notes.

Kane awoke to very distressed sounds coming from the room next door. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she slowly sat up. What was that? Crying?  


Drowsiness still fogging her mind, she stepped out into the hall. Glowing purple light peered out from under the door of Gaster’s sleeping quarters. She slowly opened the door to the child’s room.  


Gaster was having a very bad time. His face was contorted into fear and pain, his eyes were flaring up purple through closed lids as he was tossed and turned in his bed. He was mumbling things under his breath.  


“Help. Someone help me. Please.”  


“Gaster?” Kane sat down close to him on his bed and tried to shake him awake. His spine curled at the touch, like he was protecting himself from something. He started crying now, purple tears spilling out.  


“Can’t breathe. Can’t breathe.”  


Gaster mumbled those words through ragged breathes. They were similar to that of a drowning man; deep and desperate. Kane decided there was one thing to do. She gently lifted him up and wrapped her arms around the small skeleton. She leaned against the head board of the bed, holding him in her lap. She rocked back and forth, trying to rouse him from whatever hell his mind was putting him through.  


Gaster took in a huge gulp of air as his eyes flew open. He coughed violently as his awareness slowly came back to him. His head whipped around to figure out where he was until his eyes met Kane’s. They stared at each other for a beat or two until he started sobbing and buried his face into Kane’s chest, trying to find comfort. Kane rubbed the curve of his spine and back, never taking her arms away.  


“Shhh. It’s okay now. Do not cry young one.”  


Gaster was still shaking, his eyes lights quivering in their sockets. They were still glowing bright purple and threatened to burst into vicious flames.  
“I’ve got you. There’s nothing to fear. You’re safe. You’re safe.”  


Gaster nodded but continued to sob.  


“Do you want to talk about it?”  


Gaster hesitated. His bones made an audible rattling sound, he was shaking so bad. He took ragged breaths that clearly weren’t enough to fill his metaphorical lungs. He hiccupped through his crying as he tried to regain enough composure to speak.  


“It’s okay if you don’t want to. Just try to breath.”  


Kane felt Gaster’s rib cage rise and fall as he tried to regain a rhythm to his breathing.  


“I-I-I-I fell. I d-d-d-don’t know where b-b-b-but it was dark. R-r-r-really dark. I couldn’t f-feel or s-s-s-s-see anything. I couldn’t breathe. It felt like my body was f-f-f-filling up with tar or sludge.”  


Kane continued to rock Gaster as he recounted his nightmare.  


“I-I-I felt like I was melting. I couldn’t think. My mind just filled with this a-a-awful, fuzzy noise like there was s-s-s-sand in my skull. I cried out for help. B-b-b-b-but nobody came. Th-th-th-there was this v-v-v-voice yelling at me. It just said ‘beware the man who speaks in hands’ over and over again.”  


“Oh dear…” Kane sighed and ran a hand across Gaster’s skull. “I’m sorry you had to experience that darling. I will always be here to protect you. Understand?”  


“Y-y-y-yes mistress.”  


Kane took a deep breath and continued to try to comfort Gaster. This was his first nightmare. She didn’t even know he could dream until a few weeks ago. He had come to her telling her about visions at night. But he described them as nothing more than vague shapes and colors. On one rare occasion, he described a voice without a body. This was something on a whole different level.  


Her inexperience with children was starting to show, as she didn’t really know what to do. Gaster buried his face back into Kane’s chest. Kane rubbed his back, his spine rattling in his night shirt. He whimpered pitifully, pearly purple tears rolling down his face.  


Without knowing what else to do Kane started humming a soft melody, one she remembered her own mother singing to her. Gaster, still shaking, gazed up at her with light wonder.  


_“October winds lament  
_

_Around the castle of Dromore  
_

_Yet peace is in her lofty halls,  
_

_My loving treasure store  
_

_Though autumn leaves may droop and die,  
_

_A bud of spring are you  
_

_Sing hushabye loo, low loo, low lan  
_

_Hushabye loo, low loo.”_  


Gaster nestled against Kane, his soul’s pulse starting to slow down. He took a deep breath in and let Kane hum the melody.  


_“Bring no ill wind to him nor us,  
_

_My helpless babe and me  
_

_Dread spirits all of black water,  
_

_Clan Owen's wild banshee  
_

_And Holy Mary pitying us  
_

_To Heaven for grace doth sue  
_

_Sing hushabye loo, low loo, low lan  
_

_Hushabye loo, low loo.”_  


Gaster’s tears stopped entirely and felt his soul relax more and more with each note. His magic hummed a song without sound to the rhythm of Kane’s lullaby.  


_“Take time to thrive, my ray of hope,  
_

_In the garden of Dromore  
_

_Take heed, young eaglet, till thy wings  
_

_Are feathered fit to soar  
_

_A little rest and then  
_

_The world is full of work to do  
_

_Sing hushabye loo, low loo, low lan  
_

_Hushabye loo, low loo.”_  


As the song came to an end Kane kissed the top of Gaster’s skull and his breathing slowed back to its normal cycle. He curled up into a loose ball in Kane’s arms as his smile returned. Granted, it was shallow and tired, but still a smile.  


“There we go. There’s that smile I love” Kane said, smiling to herself.  


“Where did you learn that mistress?”  


“It’s something my mother would sing to me whenever I was scared or needed comfort. You sounded like you needed it little soul.”  


“What’s a mother? Gerson and Grillby mentioned that word a few times, but I’m not sure what it means.”  


“A mother is the woman who raises and takes care of their young ones. They love and care for their children like they’re the most precious things in the world.”  


“Am I a child? You call me young one and darling a lot.”  


“You’re first soul died at age twelve I believe. You were revived about ten months ago, and given a soul three weeks ago which makes you around thirteen years old. So yes, you are a child.”  


Gaster pondered that for a moment. “Does that make you my mother mistress?”  


Kane felt taken aback by this comment. That was a good question. She hesitated in answering, before meeting Gaster’s big, wide eyes. They begged for an answer. Any answer. “I’ll leave that up to you darling.”  


Gaster blinked for a second. He pressed his body next to Kane, letting her warmth seep into his bones. “I think it does. You didn’t have to sing to me like that. You could’ve easily put me to sleep with a spell. But you didn’t.”  


That was true. Now that she was thinking about it, a spell would’ve forced his mind back to sleep. But that didn’t seem fair to him. He had a nightmare that frightened him to the point of tears. Forcing him back to sleep would only hurt him.  


“You didn’t have to teach me how to use magic or how to read and write. You didn’t… have to…”  


Gaster paused for a moment. He pressed his hand to his chest and drew out his soul. “You didn’t have to give me this.”  


Kane stared at the little, floating, upside-down heart. It still had traces of her red soul in the corner, but new colors were swirled in as Gaster’s personality grew. His dominant color was purple, but green and dark blue flickered within the core. _Perseverance, integrity, kindness, and a bit of determination_ Kane thought with a smile. Those few words summed up the small skeleton fairly well. Gaster tucked the soul away, back into his rib cage.  


“If a mother is someone who takes care of her children, then I think you are.”  


Kane smiled warmly at the young skeleton’s words. She hugged his body close to hers. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes as she rocked him back and forth. Gaster was not a stupid child. He just had a very narrow frame of reference. Once he has enough pieces, he can make some very complex connections.  


“I suppose it does darling.”  


Gaster smiled and rested his head on her chest, listening to her heart beat.  


“May I call you mother?”  


Kane smiled as she wiped any remaining tears away from his face.  


“You may call me whatever you please little one. Now. Back to sleep with you.”  


Gaster tensed in her arms. He gripped her night gown tightly in his hands and tried to hide from the world around him.  


“I don’t want to.”  


“Gaster.”  


“Please.”  


“Gaster, you’ll be miserable if you don’t sleep. You don’t want that do you?”  


“I don’t want to go back to the melting.”  


“Do you think you can go back to sleep in here or do you want to come with me? It may be comforting to have me with you.”  


“May I go with you?”  


“Of course darling.” She scooped him up and cradled him gently. His eyes drooped and he yawned quietly as she carried him to her room. It’s at moments like these that remind Kane how small the skeleton is.  


She lied him down next to her, covering them both in the warmth of blankets.  


“Sleep well little one.”  


“You to… mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so two things.  
> 1) Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how much of a little cinnamon roll Gaster is?  
> 2) Here's the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tu0RJIZRrM


End file.
